Nobody In Custody After Twitter Users Help Identify Suspects In Philly Anti-Gay Attack
BuzzFeed - Latest 2014-09-17
Summary:
Cops thanked a Twitter user who tracked down a group of people thought to be responsible for an assault on two gay men in the city’s Center City neighborhood, but as of Wednesday morning, no arrests have been made.
A screen grab of police surveillance footage.
Philadelphia Police / Via youtube.com
Philadelphia Police told BuzzFeed News that as of Wednesday morning, no arrests have been made in connection with a violent group assault on two gay men in the Center City neighborhood last week.
On Tuesday, cops released surveillance footage of a group of people thought to be responsible for the attack online and within a matter of hours, Twitter users following the case tracked down additional photos, location check-ins, and the identities of some seen in the group.
"No arrests have been made," a police spokesman told BuzzFeed News on Wednesday morning. "These people are suspects, but we don't have any of them in custody. It's a just a matter of time before we do."
But according to a report by ABC 6 News in Philadelphia, attorneys for some of the people identified in the video and social media have contacted authorities and are making plans to meet with police.
The two victims, a 27-year-old man and a 28-year-old man, were approached by a group of people around 10:45 p.m. on Sept. 11 and, according to police, made anti-gay remarks before physically attacking the two men. Both victims were taken to a nearby hospital, and one of the victims suffered lacerations to the face and a fractured jaw, which was wired shut, according to information from police.
Shortly after investigators released the video footage of the suspects, Twitter users scrambled to track them down. Greg Bennett, former reality show Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member posted a photo showing a group of people who looked similar to those seen in the video:
